how much insulation do I need for a FV cupboad kept in shed

[newtonsshed]

Having a think on how to make a fv chamber for the shed brewery and reading various FV Cupboard builds that extend upright freezers/fridges I'm tempted to have a go. I'm going to be using an ATC800+ to control the temp a dry air tube heater 60W? and a maxi 310 to cool, just what I have and I see the heating as the main part and only occassional need to cool but I was wondering how much insulation I would need to be effective>? I would use the rockwool stuff loft insualation rolls as cheap way to insulate a wooden frame thats dubble skinned ie hardboard rockwool insulation and hardboard how thick do I need the insulation in the cavity?
Thanks
Andy

[StrangeBrew]

Hi Andy, get yourself a cheep second hand fridge! They're already insulated and it'll give you the option to cool when needed in the warmer months.

[newtonsshed]

I am thinking along those lines though, it have be a freecycle job and there's the issue of space, the brew-cave is a 10x6 Ft shed to do everything in and I already have 2 benches in there, one is the brewstand running one width ie along the 6ft back and one off cut kitchen work top running the lenght, so Ideally it needs to sit under the work top which should be fine, as under counter design rather then chest freezer. Also the capacity of the fridge would hopefully be an issue, so I would need to extend it anyway to fit all the fvs in. To cool it if/when needed, I could try do this by a maxi 310 beer cooler thingy. So as I have an idea to cool it and "want" a bigger capacity I thought if I forgo the fridge build a custom sized/shape frame box and insulate that I should hopefully get the same results.

I had a thought last nigght as well I could use the shed walls as the first "skin" simply put insulation along the back wall of the shed, underneath the work counter one of the side walls of the shed and floor of the shed with wooded batters along the edges and then hardboard on top. Then all I need to make is one side and front which probably needs to slide. Just not sure how good it be and efficient in terms of running costs of the heater if not well insulated and cold.

[stevetk189]

If you're on about building onto the fridge with insulated panels to increase space for Fvs then i did something similar for my own Fv cupboard. I'd say forget the heater tube though and go for a small fan heater (you may have to twiddle with it's own thermostat to prevent it coming on too hot too fast). Mine is all controlled by an STC1000 and at the minute resides in a barn with an ambient temp around -4 to 10C at the minute.

The fan heater ensures the heat is dispersed around the enlarged cabinet better and faster than a static tube, in my opinion.

My only qualm with the STC is that my FV cabinet hits eg 18.5C (set temp 19) and the heater kicks in.... VVVOOOOOO great until 19.5 when the fridge kicks in.... BBBRRRRRRRRR great until 18.5 and the heater kicks in again, this cycles annoyingly quickly at first. This only farts me about if the door has been off to test gravity in FVs or to put some primed bottles in etc once it's all settled down, even when I was testing -4C outside it, the heater comes on once or twice an hour only. The cladding is 22mm polyurethane foam.

I am planning to build another version with thicker insulation and a wooden frame so I can incorporate shelves for bottles above the FVs.